Stars and Stripes2: A Dream is Born
by Doc4
Summary: When Captain America goes missing, Fury needs a replacement. This is one decision he's going to regret.


Okay, so, I said there wouldn't a continuation of Stars & Stripes. Well, there is. And one more after, at the very least. Try to keep an open mind, I've never written any of the Avengers, Ultimate or otherwise, before.

I don't own it. Never have, never will.

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Buffy looked at the dark skinned, one-eyed man in uniform suspiciously. "Can I help you?"

"Is your mother home?" The man asked. Buffy scowled at him.

"Can the act, General Fury. Gramps warned me you might be coming around to see me. He didn't say you were so grumpy," Nick Fury, head of SHIELD, overseer of the USA's official superhero team, the Avengers and all-around hard ass scowled back at her. When he had heard about a girl with dormant super soldier serum in her blood, he'd been curious enough to let Captain America and the Black Widow come to Sunnydale to investigate. When Steve had given him the story of vampires, Chosen Ones and Hellmouths, he'd agreed that this maybe a little beyond the scope of his jurisdiction and left her alone. Now, however, it seemed he needed to get this girl trained.

"I need you to come with me, Miss Summers," he said harshly.

"And why now, after leaving me to the Slayer gig for six months?" Buffy had asked, leaning against the door frame. His next words nearly knocked her over.

"Captain America has been declared MIA and we need a replacement. You're it."

"...Ex-CUSE me?"

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_Ten minutes later_

_Summers lounge room_

"We're not really sure what happened," Fury began, looking at the two women. He shouldn't be telling the girls mother, but both had been rather adamant in knowing exactly how their grandfather/great-grandfather had vanished. _Note to self: do NOT piss these two off._ "He was sent on a solo mission, investigating some kind of supposed 'cult' activity in South America. Last contact was all green. He'd found their base and was observing as planned. That was one month ago. The higher ups are concerned he might have flipped."

"'Flipped'?" Buffy asked acidly. _Oh shit..._ "Please tell me they aren't that thick. There's no way in hell gramps would turn against America, I don't care what psychological hoo-doo these guys use. He loved this country enough to go through that crap back during the war, how the hell could they even think...?"

"Personally, I agree," Nick said. "Steve's got no reason to turn on us. So he's either been captured, or there's more to these 'cultists' than... psychological hoo-doo," he added dryly. Kid had a way with words.

"But what does this have to do with my daughter?" Joyce asked carefully.

"Higher ups need someone to take Steves place on the team," Nick said. "Ordinarily, Muffy..."

"Buffy," the two said together.

"Buffy," Nick corrected blandly. "would be too young for me to recruit. However, because of the super soldier serum in her blood, well, she's considered to already be on the books. Hell, there's a couple of scientist that want her body classified as 'government property' so they can study her."

"Try it and I remove the other eye," Buffy said darkly. Nick stared straight back at her. Yeah, she'd do.

"I managed to talk the Pentagon out of it," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an envelope. "Elizabeth Anne Summers, you are hereby ordered by the President of the USA to head to New York. There you will begin SHIELD training and join the elite government team of super powered beings, code name: Avengers," Buffy looked at he envelope, then at him.

"Guess I don't have a choice, huh?" She asked. "I'll need to tell my Watcher to move the other Slayer down here."

"I thought there was only one?" Nick asked. Joyce shook her head. Her grandfather had told her about the Slayer, what Buffy was and what she was doing every night. It had been hard for the older Summers woman to take before he had told her she should be proud of Buffy's achievments. He'd been right, of course, though there had been a strain between the two. She really didn't want to let her daughter go, but...

"Buffy died against the Master," Joyce said. "There's a second Slayer, but the Council," the way she spat that word out made Nick want to look into these 'Watchers'. "refused to send her down. According to them, Buffy's still alive, so she has a duty to protect Sunnydale."

"Well, they're not going to have a choice," Nick said, getting ot his feet, dropping the envelope on the coffee table. "You have one week. A transport will come to pick you up at the edge of town. I suggest you show up."

"I will," Buffy said. "But only because there's a chance I can find out what happened to gramps."

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_One week later__  
8:09am__  
The Triskelion, New York City  
Home of the Avengers_

Buffy looked around as she walked down the ramp. _Do they have enough soldiers?_

"Buffy."

"Natasha! Thank God, a familiar face," Buffy said as the two met at the base of ramp. She'd met her great-grandfather's girlfriend (even though he wasn't physically much older than the red headed Russian ex-pat, it still felt a little gross thinking that) when the two had come to Sunnydale to help with the Master. Natash had given her some pointers with her fighting style which Buffy had adopted. It had helped greatly, though Giles had seemed a bit put out. "How are you doing?"

"Worried," the Black Widow admitted as she led Buffy into the building. "But we are forbidden any attempt at a rescue. It is...frustrating."

"How do you think I feel?" Buffy said. "I'm called in as a replacement cause the jerk wads don't want to risk an incident sending in a rescue team. The whole thing stinks like week old fish."

"Agreed, but for now there is nothing we can do," Natash said. "General Fury is waiting for us in the war room with the rest of the team."

"Oh this is so going to suck."

"You will be fine."

"They're loosing a hero of WWII and getting a teenager that's used to dealing with supposedly mythical creatures instead. Nope, this is so going to suck."

"Do not be so sure they will disbelieve vampires so easily," Natasha said slyly.

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_Five minutes later_

Buffy managed to stop staring at Thor (she didn't care what Fury said, her Slayer senses were going off. That was the real deal!) long enough to look around at the rest of her new 'team mates'.

They weren't impressed. As expected.

"Slayer! You've arrived at last!"

Well, except for Thor.

"Uh, hi," Buffy said nervously. "Wait, how did you...?"

"Don't ask, you'll give yourself a headache," said Iron Man, his voice heavily digitised.

"Nah. Headache's trying to decode the latest Apoclolypse prophecy from some dead language," Buffy answered. "Decoding God speak can't be that hard," Iron Man snorted at that. "Hey, tin head! Don't snort like that at me!"

"Did she just call him Tin Head?" Wasp whispered to Black Widow.

"She is...very free spirited," Natasha replied.

"Aye, Iron Man. I would not desparage the lass's skills so quickly," Thor said in Buffy's defence. "She would not be here, or on my fathers list were she not skilled in battle."

"Wait, list? What list? Why am I on list? Is that a bad thing?" Buffy asked. Thor gave her a smile that could have lit up deep space.

"Nay, Slayer. I mean only the list of those worthy of entering the sacred halls of Valhalla," Thor expalined. "Your seat is reserved, your food preferences are being noted and your cup prepared. Should you pass from this plane, you will be instantly accepted to my father Odin's side as a great warrior."

"Me? Really? Well, I hope he won't be too dissappointed if I avoid 'passing from this plane' any time soon," Buffy responded. In all honesty, she felt very flattered. When she'd told Giles she'd be working with Thor, the Watcher had quickly given her a run down on Norse mythology. She may not have kept much, but she knew one thing. Valhalla? Big deal.

"Please don't encourage him," Fury muttered, which earned glare from the Slayer.

"Yo, General Cyclops," all who hadn't met Buffy before (save Thor, who was killing himself laughing) stopped in shock, staring at the girl. Natasha simply shook her head. "Lay off. Slayer comma the, remember? Detecting the supernatural's my game. Him?" She pointed her thumb at Thor. "Off the scale. I'm getting a migraine standing next to him."

"Wait, are you saying...?" Wasp began. Buffy nodded. "Wow..."

"Well, since we have the opinon of an expert," Iron Man said snidely. Buffy's eyes narrowed. "Really, Fury, what's she really..." his question was cut off as a small dagger flew over his shoulder, knicking his armour and slicing through the first layer of armour. Everyone (except Thor) looked at her in absolute shock. Fury was thinking over the evaluation he'd been given by Natasha on the girls skill.

He decided he'd need to evaluate it personally.

"How did you...?" Iron Man began.

"Vibranium dagger," Buffy explained. "Gift from T'Challa. He likes me."

"Damn..." Wasp whispered.

"You missed," said a voice from behind her.

"If I wanted to hit him, he'd be a shishkabob," Buffy said, turning to the man with short blond hair, a tight purple, armless suit, wraparound sunglasses, a bow and a quiver of arrows. "Whadda they call you? Robin Hood? Bowman? The Angry Archer?"

"No, but I like that last one," the archer said with a cocky smile. _I already don't like him,_ Buffy thought. "Clint Barton. Hawkeye," he introduced himself smoothely, holding out a hand.

"Buffy Summers. Slayer. So keep the eyes up and the mind out of the gutter and I won't stab you with those glasses," Buffy said, shaking his hand with a short, tight squeeze.

"Now HER I like," Hawkeye with a wide smile, shaking his slightly crushed hand.

"Oh, joy," Buffy said dryly, turning to Fury. "So, when's this super-duper top secret training start?" Fury glared at her. Buffy stared back expectantly. _I hate her,_ he thought.

"Now," he said out loud.

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_8:30pm  
Buffy's quarter_

"Slave driver," Buffy muttered, glaring at the camera in the corner of her room. "Is a little privacy too much to ask? I'd like to die in peace!" No answer, of course. "Ass. You hate me, don't you?" She collapsed on the bed, groaning as her body objected to the sudden pressure on her bruised and battered back. "This is gonna suck."

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_Two months later  
Buffy's quarters_

Buffy looked at the costume that was laid out on her bed. It was basically a female version of her great-grandfathers, minus the famous shield. She'd drawn the line at that one.

'_The shield is his weapon. It's not right for someone else to use it. Besides, it's two big and bulky for me to use.'_

Instead, the SHIELD weapons designers and tech heads (referred to by Barton as 'the Geek Squad') had come up with a set of palm sized discs which, when thrown, increased their momentum with each impact, bouncing much like a ball. The end result could punch a hole through most armour types. She had six re-useable discs of that type which attached to her gloves.

In the pouches on her belt were several more discs, though these were packed with everything from explosives to nets to blades. A grab bag of flying doom.

She almost wanted to hug the guy that came up with the blade discs. They worked wonders on New York's vampire population (and boy did Fury flip when she tested that theory).

'_All Avengers, report to control,'_ Buffy gave a sigh as she looked at the costume. Show time.

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_2 hours later  
Mexico border_

"You understand your mission?"

"Yeah, 'Tasha, I got it," Buffy muttered. "Me and Wasp go in on decoy duty while Shell Head and Thor hold him from behind. Hawkeye takes the shot while you keep the heavy artillery on stand by," Natasha nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure you're ready for this? I can take point..."

"No way," Buffy said adamantly. "This is what I trained for two months. First test, first step. I prove myself then I go find gramps," there was a look of grim determination on her face. "Whether I get the go ahead or not," Natasha nodded before turning to the pilot.

"Open the hatch," the hatch opened as Janet van Dyne shrunk down to become the Wasp. Buffy held the strap tight as the tiny heroine was sucked out the hatch, heading for their target. "American Dream, you have green light!"

"Going, going..." she said, leaping out the back of the transport, the SHIELD design FIST (Flying Insertion Stealth Tech) pack flaring to life to deliver her safely to her first mission.

Halting the Hulk from leaving the country.

_What a first mission,_ she thought as she dumped the pack, letting loose several explosive discs on the Green Goliath as she landed. _Fury so hates me._


End file.
